A glimmer of Spring. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD; how appropriate) suffers can rejoice when Spring starts to poke through the haze of winter.  Up to twenty percent of us have a mild case of SAD and it is more common in woman than men. With winter chilling us to the bone and sucking the moisture out of every molecule in our body, it’s no surprise a lot of us dread the change of season. The days are cut short, the trees become bare and grass turns brown, leaving a washed out brown and murky canvas.

My motivation drops and my weight tends to creep up, though I’m sure holidays have something to do with that. I’m cold all the time, so I wrap myself in layer upon layer of clothing like a cocoon. Every shower I take is extra-long so I can soak in the hot water and let the steam collect in the bathroom. The calendar moves at a sluggish pace while I count down the days until Spring. Once Spring is finally here a glimmer of hope starts to sprout inside of me. Growing like a little ember waiting for more fuel. Then – it snows. Are you kidding me mother nature?! I pump my fist angrily at the sky like a cranky old person scolding the rascally neighborhood kids.  Darn you and your tricks!

The Beetles sing, “Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here. Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right.” Come on warm weather! Defrost this cold blanket that leaches onto me. I want to slither out of my winter skin and embrace the sun rays once again. A new life is breathed into me when I see the vegetation awakening around me (see photos below of some samples in my yard).

Seasonal Affective Disorder is not my friend. I am certain I have a mild case, most evident by the shift in my mood this week as temperatures are on the rise and the sun is finally showing up. All inside chores are on hold, I have trees to chop, gardens to prep, and ditches to dig.

For more reading on SAD check out this article.

Note, I live in Maryland state in the US. Spring is just starting to bloom here.